Dr. John Johnston is a historian of Asian art and Buddhist visual and material culture. He
received his PhD from SOAS, University of London in the History of Art and MA from the
University of Hawaii in Chinese Studies. Dr. Johnston is author or co-author of several books
and numerous scholarly articles on diverse aspects of Asian art and Buddhist visual culture.
He has worked as a curator and professor internationally including over a decade of
experience in Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, and Bhutan). Dr. Johnston has visited
hundreds of Buddhist temples in the course of extensive fieldwork including residencies at
monasteries. He has served in curatorial roles in American art museums and was Assistant
Professor of Art History at the Academy of Visual Arts in Hong Kong. Dr. Johnston is co-
organizer of the Center’s ground-breaking presentation of visual arts related to the Ōbaku
Zen tradition. He is Associate Editor of the Journal of International Buddhist Studies.
Dr. Johnston can be reached at jnjohnston@arizona.edu